Forehead wrinkles? It may predict early death

Often considered a bane to the beauty-- which can dramatically age your appearance-- forehead wrinkles are no doubt very hard to deal with. To add salt to the injury, deep forehead wrinkles -- which are not normal for your age -- may signal a higher risk of early death from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

According to a new research presented at the ESC Congress 2018-- the annual conference of the European Society of Cardiology in Munich--the wrinkles on your forehead may signal a risk death from Atherosclerosis, also known as the hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is a major contributor to heart attacks. Why does it happen? The researchers explained that the blood vessels in the forehead may be more sensitive to plaque build-up as they are so small. This, in turn, could signal one vessel ageing. Furthermore, the changes in collagen protein and oxidative stress may result in atherosclerosis and deep wrinkles on the forehead.

For the research, 3200 working adults were examined to assess their horizontal forehead wrinkles and to check them for CVD risk.

The scores were assigned on the basis of the number and depth of forehead wrinkles --a score of zero meant no wrinkles, while a score of three meant numerous deep wrinkles.

After following up with the participants for 20 years, it was found that the higher the wrinkle score, the more the risk for CVD. The finding pointed out the sinister relationship between wrinkle core and CVD risk as those with the wrinkle score two and three, had almost 10 times the risk of dying compared to people who had wrinkle scores of zero.

Should you be worried? While having deep forehead wrinkles may not be the best marker of CVD--as compared to the existing methods--assessing them can be an easier way to mark people in a high-risk category.

Yolande Esquirol, a professor at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, France said, "It's so simple and visual. Just looking at a person's face could sound an alarm, then we could give advice to lower risk. The higher your wrinkle score, the more your cardiovascular mortality risk increases."

What can you do? If you have deep furrows in your brows, while it is a must to maintain a healthy lifestyle--which includes exercising and eating a balanced diet--it is also advisable to check for other markers of CVD including a high blood pressure and fluctuating blood glucose levels.

It is strongly advised to seek professional help if you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above.